U.S. Attorney’s Office Unveils New Initiative for Area Youth to Identify, Report and Prevent Hate Crimes

Memphis, TN – United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced that the United States Attorney’s 
Office for the Western District of Tennessee has launched a series of presentations in district 
high schools aimed at educating students on identifying, reporting, and preventing hate crimes and 
other civil rights violations.

This effort is part of the Department of Justice’s United Against Hate Program, developed by its 
Hate Crimes Enforcement and Prevention Initiative. Today, attorneys from the U.S. Attorney’s 
Office, the Assistant Special Agent in Charge from the FBI, and officers from the Memphis Police 
Department’s Office of Community Policing launched the local program at Central High School in 
Memphis and plan to visit additional schools in 2023.

“Civil rights enforcement is a priority of the United States Attorney’s Office,” said U.S. Attorney 
Ritz. “Ensuring that our citizens, even the young ones, understand the law and how to report what 
they believe are civil rights violations or hate crimes is essential. Our goal is to equip Memphis 
youth with the tools to recognize hate crimes or discrimination when it happens and with what steps 
they should take afterward.”

“Hate crimes have a devastating impact not just on the victims and their families, but communities 
as well,” said Douglas DePodesta, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of 
Investigation’s Memphis Field Office. “The FBI has been engaged in a nationwide effort to build 
awareness and encourage individuals to report violations and will continue to do so through the 
United Against Hate program and other platforms. We want everyone, including students, to 
understand that if they encounter what they believe is a hate crime that the FBI is here to investigate.”

If your school is interested in hosting a United Against Hate presentation, contact our office. 
This interactive presentation is best for audiences under 100 students, though we
are happy to discuss your school’s unique needs.

To learn more about the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Civil Rights Program, or to file a complaint  with 
 our  office,  visit: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtn/civil-rights- program.

To report a possible hate crime, call your local law enforcement or 1-800-CALL FBI.

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For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at (901) 544-4231 or [email protected]. Follow @ WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.